Cirque du Soleil and Felix & Paul Studiostoday launched DREAMS OF “O”, the latest virtual reality experience created and produced through this award-winning collaborative partnership. Attendees at CES, taking place this week in Las Vegas, Nevada, can view DREAMS OF “O” at the Samsung booth at the Las Vegas Convention Center, South Hall S1.

DREAMS OF “O” explores the many facets of the breathtaking aquatic masterpiece, “O” by Cirque du Soleil. The 12-minute 360o, 3D experience submerges the user into a virtual reality universe comprised of aerial acrobatics, daring dives, fire and surreal amphibious characters. DREAMS OF “O” is the first-ever VR experience to combine simultaneous underwater and slow-motion shooting, which required significant technical advancement to accomplish using Felix & Paul Studios’ proprietary camera technology. As part of the studio’s continued creative expansion, Felix & Paul Studios again tapped filmmaker François Blouin to co-direct this piece, following a successful collaboration on KÀ The Battle Within.

DREAMS OF “O” is now available on Samsung Gear VR powered by Oculus, the leading mobile VR solution enabling an incredible VR viewing experience. Viewers can download DREAMS OF “O” in the Oculus Store, or watch a 360 video of the experience below!

“I’m delighted to be here in one of the entertainment capitals of the world to see firsthand this incredible content partnership between two of the best that Canada have to offer – Felix & Paul Studios and Cirque du Soleil,” said The Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development for Canada who is speaking at CES. “Together with the global reach of Samsung, this partnership takes interactive digital content and virtual reality to new heights, and serves as a brilliant example of Canadian innovation in action.”

This is the third collaboration between Cirque du Soleil and Felix & Paul Studios. The companies previously produced the critically acclaimed Inside the Box of Kurios, which won a 2016 Emmy® Award in the Outstanding Interactive Media – Original Daytime Program or Series category. In October 2016, KÀ The Battle Within was introduced at the Oculus Connect 3 conference in San Jose, California and was featured at the Toronto International Film Festival as part of the official selection of the festival’s Cutting Edge POP VR line-up.

“Cirque du Soleil’s ‘O’ is one of the world’s most innovative theatrical productions inspired by the infinity and elegance of water’s pure form and delivered by world-class acrobats, synchronized swimmers and divers,” said Sebastian Sylwan, Chief Technology Officer at Felix & Paul Studios. “To immerse viewers in the same ethereal, dreamlike mood in an original VR experience, we combined simultaneous underwater and slow-motion shooting—a feat that required us to significantly modify our proprietary camera technology, merging the two techniques to more poignantly evoke the artistry, surrealism and theatrical romance of ‘O’”.

“We’re proud to release DREAMS OF ‘O’ to celebrate the success of one of our most popular shows in Vegas,” said Jerry Nadal, Senior VP of Cirque du Soleil’s Resident Shows Division. “Our partnership with Felix & Paul Studios highlights Cirque’s leadership in pushing the boundaries of creating outstanding immersive experiences. Virtual reality allows us to explore state-of-the-art platforms to complement our live show experiences.”

CES attendees and the general public can experience KÀ The Battle Within in the MGM Grand hotel lobby January 2 through January 12. DREAMS OF “O” will be on view in the Bellagio hotel lobby from January 4 through January 8.

ABOUT CIRQUE DU SOLEIL

From a group of 20 street performers at its beginnings in 1984, Cirque du Soleil is now a major Quebec-based organization providing high-quality artistic entertainment. The company has close to 4,000 employees, including 1,300 performing artists from close to 50 different countries. Cirque du Soleil has brought wonder and delight to more than 160 million spectators in 400 cities in sixty countries on six continents.

Felix & Paul Studios is the industry leader in the field of high-end cinematic virtual reality with an unparalleled reputation for producing the highest quality experiences in this emerging new medium. The studio combines technological innovation with a unique, pioneering and in-depth approach to the new art of virtual reality storytelling—creating ground-breaking original cinematic experiences (MIYUBI, Nomads series, Strangers) and collaborations with existing franchises (Jurassic World, Cirque du Soleil, Fox Searchlight’s Wild) and world-renowned personalities and leaders (President Barack Obama, LeBron James, President Bill Clinton).

The company is the world’s only full spectrum VR studio, showcasing end-to-end creative and technological know-how and proprietary tools within one company—including best-in-class spherical 3D camera systems, production and post-production software and processes, and specialized audio capture, design and processing through its Headspace Studios division.

Headquartered in Montreal, Canada with offices in Los Angeles, CA, Felix & Paul Studios has a highly experienced team of over 50 VR specialists and is backed by Comcast Ventures, the Phi Group, LD Ventures and Caisse de Depot et Placement du Quebec.